


Lunch

by SilverWolf3313



Series: The Spider and the Trickster [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Loki meets a dog, Loki refuses help because he's Loki, Peter and Sandwich, Sass, Thor also has a tiny role, Tony has a tiny role
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-06-08 16:49:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15247608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverWolf3313/pseuds/SilverWolf3313
Summary: Peter has been avoiding Loki at all costs. After the incident at the Tower, he hasn't returned for a few weeks. He thought he wasn't going to gave to see the trickster god again. Cue Parker luck.





	Lunch

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again! I have to say, I was absolutely blown away by the response the first part received! I can't believe it had over 1,000 hits in just under 72 hours! Thank you all so much for the kudos! For this part, I won't deny that I put a lot of different references in this chapter. See if you can find them all!  
> Now, without further ado, ON WITH THE CHAPTER!  
> P.S.- Peter's thoughts are in italics with a single quotation mark. Figured I would clear that up in case anyone is confused.

It'd been two weeks since he had been to the Tower. It was killing him. Every time he had the urge to tinker in Tony's labs, the image of the ebony-haired god would appear in his mind's eye. He would berate himself for being such a chicken, and to just suck it up and go. But just when he would muster the courage to go back, his irrational fear would win, sending him back home, cursing loudly.

However, today's internal battle didn't send him to the streets in his Spider-Man persona. All day, Peter's had been itching to upgrade his web-shooters, fingers playing with pencils, pens, almost anything to release some of the retrained energy. As soon as the last bell rang, Peter had flown from his seat, sending a quick goodbye to Michelle and Ned. He had boarded the train, anxiety levels slowly increasing as he neared the Tower.

_C'mon, Peter, you're freaking Spider-Man. You've taken on villains like Toomes and Doc Ock all by yourself._

_But they can't even hold a candle to Loki. He almost let an entire alien army destroy New York,_ whispered a dark little voice in the back of Peter's mind.

"Shut up," Peter hissed to himself. Exiting the train, he continued this mental battle.

_Go._

_Don't go._

"Shit! Stop being such a wuss, Parker!" Subconsciously, his fingers squeezed together, nearly bruising themselves. Blinking his eyes, Peter processed where exactly he had ended up. Looking up at the storefronts lining the street, he smiled brightly. His feet had brought him to the best sandwich shops in Queens.

A bell jingled over the door as Peter walked into Delmar's. "Hey, Peter!"

"Hi, Mr. Delmar!" Peter smiled at the store owner as he leaned on the counter.

"How ya been, kid? It's been a while."

"I've been alright," he replied, eyes scanning the aisles. "School's slow."

"Eh, what did I tell you about staying in school?" Delmar asked, looking at Peter over his nose.

Peter let out a small chuckle. "I know, I know."

"So, what can I get for ya? Your usual? With pickles?"

"Yeah, and could you flatten it? Thanks."

"Hey, no problem, kid." Mr. Delmar snagged the sandwich from the worker behind him, placing it on the counter. "That it?"

"Uhh..." Suddenly, an idea hit him. "Could I have the number three, with extra ham and extra turkey?"

"Two sandwiches? What, is your hot aunt not feeding you enough?"

"Nah, these sandwiches are for your daughter and me," came the cocky quip.

Mr. Delmar's face fell from comfortable amusement to annoyance. He slapped the other sandwich next to Peter's. "Twenty dollars."

Peter let out an indignant gasp. "What? Oh come on, I was kidding!"

"With a comment like that, your rate goes up." Mr. Delmar's eyes shone with hidden amusement, but his face remained a displeased mask.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry. I meant no disrespect."

Mr. Delmar nodded. "So long as you leave my daughter alone."

"If you do the same for my aunt."

"Deal."

Peter beamed. Walking over to the fridges, he opened the door, relishing in the cool air as it kissed his face. Wrapping his fingers around a bottle of soda and water, he placed them on the counter. He reached into his pocket as the clicking of the cash register keys sounded through the store.

"Anything else?"

"No, wait! Annddddd...." His hand hovered over the candy rack. Darting forward, he placed two chocolate bars on the counter. "All set."

"Alright, kid. Twelve dollars." Rooting around in his pocket, Peter withdrew his wallet. Handing the money to Mr. Delmar, he grabbed the plastic bag from the counter.

"Thanks, Mr. Delmar!"

"No problem, kid. See ya around! And stay out of trouble!" echoed the older man's yell as Peter stepped out into the street.

Peter laughed to himself as he exited the building. Yeah, because staying out of trouble is exactly what I do on a daily basis. He let out another laugh. Switching the bag to his other hand, he delved into his pocket and extracted his headphones. Slipping the bud into his ear, he peered at his phone, scrolling through the songs. He smiled as he selected the track he was looking for.

 _Blitzkrieg Pop_ played lowly from the earbud as he made his way down the street. The sidewalks were relatively empty, which was strange for New York. Humming along to his music, he skipped slightly, swinging his head in time with the beat.

Finally, he made it to the corner of 25th Street, turning into an alleyway between two apartment buildings. Cupping a hand around his mouth, Peter called into the alley. "Sandwich! Sandwich, where are you?" The clatter of claws reached Peter's ears, sending a rush of happiness through his chest. A brown dog came barreling down the pavement, tongue lolling out of his mouth. Peter dropped the bag and crouched down on one knee. A loud bout of laughs reverberated around him as he embraced the dog, giggling as the rough tongue licked his face.

"Hey, boy. I know, I missed you too," he said, feeling Sandwich's body wiggle with barely restrained excitement. He let go, smiling brightly as Sandwich danced in a circle, barking happily up at the teen. Peter eyed the bag at his side and sent a mischievous glance at the dog. "Are you hungry, boy?"

Sandwich barked again. "I'll take that as a yes." He plunged a hand into the plastic bag, extracting one of the sandwiches. The brown dog approached Peter, sniffing furiously at the white paper. "That smells good, doesn't it?" Sandwich's tail wagged faster.

"Hold on." Placing the sandwich next to him on the ground, Peter gave Sandwich a pointed look. "Sit, Sandwich." Brown eyes met brown eyes as the boy and dog stared at each other. Peter pointed a finger at the ground. "Sandwich, sit."

With a groan of reluctance, Sandwich sat, raising his eyebrows as if to say, _See, I can sit._

Sliding his backpack's straps from his shoulders, Peter opened his backpack. Grabbing a bowl from the depths, he set it on the ground next to the sandwich. Reaching once again into the plastic bag, Peter felt the cool plastic of the water bottle against his fingertips. Barely straining, he unscrewed the cap of the water, pouring it into the waiting bowl.

Putting the half-empty bottle back into the bag, he picked up the sandwich and began to peel away the white paper. Sandwich (whose paper-thin patience was finally beginning to fray) began to whine at the sight of exposed bread and meat. "One more second, Sandwich," Peter soothed. The minute the sandwich was released from its papery bonds, Sandwich lurched forward, drool hanging from his jowls.

"Hey!" Peter scolded lightly, sending Sandwich back on his haunches. He pushed the bowl of water forwards and placed the sandwich before the dog. "Go ahead, boy." The words had barely exited Peter's mouth before Sandwich lunged forward, devouring the meal. Peter laughed again, patting the dog's back. "Slow down, Sandwich! It wouldn't do you any good if you barfed it all up."

Sandwich didn't respond, his rapidly wagging tail the only indication of his mood. Sighing, Peter reached into the bag, pulling out his own sandwich. Settling comfortably against the wall behind him, Peter dug in. For a while, the two ate in silence, the occasional honking of an angry driver entering the alley. But it was peaceful, and Peter allowed his mind to drift.

Within minutes, Sandwich's sub had vanished, as well as the water in the bowl. Letting out a little burp, Sandwich settled down next to Peter, quickly falling asleep. Absentmindedly, Peter placed a hand on Sandwich's back, slowly petting the dog's fur. Sandwich sighed and snuggled in closer to Peter. Peter had finished his own sub, and found himself relaxing into the wall, eyes slowly closing.

CRASH.

The two jolted upright, Sandwich's hackles raising, a low growl rumbling in his throat. The sensation of prickling needles worked its way up Peter's neck, but it wasn't very powerful. Rolling his hoodie sleeves to his elbows, Peter placed his fingers lightly on the triggers to his web-shooters.

The companions edged towards the dumpster, Peter's ears straining for any kind of identifying sound. Both nearly jumped out of their skin when a pale hand grabbed the lip of the metal. Pained breaths, followed by a halted gasp, exited the dumpster. A body heaved itself over the edge, back impacting hard on the uncooperative ground.

"Loki?! What the hell!?" Peter exclaimed, muscles as tense as a coil.

Loki, although he was lying on the ground clearly in pain, let out an exasperated laugh. "Of course. Out of all the rah receptacles I land in, I had to land in the one nearest you."

"Nice to see you too, jerkweed," Peter scoffed, crossing his arms. "And to think I was trying to stay away from you."

"So sorry to ruin your plans." Loki coughed wetly.

Peter looked at Loki, taking note of the various cuts and bruises forming on his face and hands. The fine leathers he normally wore had seen better days, cuts marring the bodice. Loki's hair was in a state of disarray, strands forming a halo around the injured god. A section of hair even looked singed. Peter sighed. "You gonna threaten me and try to read my mind again?"

A black eyebrow raised. "I did not threaten you. And I have no desire to read your mind....not anymore," Loki deadpanned.

"And why do I find that so hard to believe?"

Groaning quietly, he rolled over onto his front, slowly sitting against the dumpster. He raised a hand, gently probing the swelling flesh around his left eye.

Sandwich, finally over his initial shock, took a tentative step towards the black-haired man. Sniffing loudly, he stepped back, growling loudly. Loki didn't garner a response for the dog. "Get your mangy beast away from me."

"The 'mangy beast's' name is Sandwich. He's not mine," Peter cried, insulted at Loki's blatant disrespect for his companion.

"Sandwich? How creative," sniped Loki.

"Are you just going to sit there and insult me and Sandwich, or do you want some help?" Peter asked, rolling his eyes.

Loki's lips twisted into a tight grimace. 'Oh, boy, here it comes.'

"I do not need help from a child, especially you." Propping a hand behind him, he urged his body upwards. Peter gritted his teeth, swallowing the fiery retort rising at the insult.

"Yeah, sure you don't." For a few moments, Peter watched Loki's slow movements, and his barely concealed grimaces of pain. His eyes nearly rolled out of his skull when Loki tried to stand up straight, only to bend over in half. "Alright, I've seen enough." He moved forward, hand outstretched.

"Do not touch me," Loki growled, sending Peter back a few steps. Sandwich growled again. Peter gently shushed him.

"Okay, I won't. But you're struggling and in a lot of pain, even though you won't admit it, and I really don't need Thor pissed at me because I didn't help his brother and he finds out that you died, I really don't need that. Plus you're kinda scary, so that makes it really hard for me to help you, but I can't just let you stumble out into the streets of New York like that." Peter paused, inhaling a deep breath of air.

Loki looked at Peter like he had sprouted three heads and they were breathing fire. His eyes flickered from the teen to the dog sitting faithfully at his side. Peter's heart pumped painfully in his chest, blood echoing loudly in his ears. Strangely enough, the tingling at the base of his neck had faded to a dull itch.

"Do you have a communicator with you?" Peter blinked. "Mine is inoperable." For emphasis, Loki withdrew a smashed device from his pocket.

"Do you mean a phone? Yeah, right here." Peter held up the device. "Who do you want me to call?"

Loki sighed, the breath hitching slightly. "Stark."

"Sure." Quickly tapping through his contacts, Peter selected Tony's and held the phone to his ear. Barely one dial tone sounded before the call connected.

"What's up, Underoos?"

"Hi, Mr. Stark. I don't know if this a good time--I mean, you're busy a lot, so I don't want to be a pain--"

"Peter, you're rambling," Tony chided, but not unkindly.

"Right. So, you're never gonna guess who I'm with right now." Peter sent a sheepish grin towards Loki, who only sent an unimpressed look back. Tony sighed loudly, his brilliant mind already connecting the dots.

"Don't tell me. You found our missing god."

"Yeah."

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" asked Tony, tone dangerous.

"No, not at all. In fact, he's the one that's hurt," Peter replied.

Through the phone, Peter could hear Tony turn his attention towards someone in the background. "Peter found Loki." A few more phrases were exchanged, but for all of Peter's super-hearing, he didn't catch the conversation.

"Alright, kid. I've pinged your location. Point Break should be there in no time."

"Okay. Thanks, Mr. Stark."

"No problem. Oh, can you put me on speaker for a second?"

Removing the phone from his ear, Peter held it out into the open air. "Loki," Tony's voice began, "if you do anything to the kid before your brother gets there, I swear you'll wish you were back in that Asgardian cell."

"Understood, Stark. The spiderling will be fine," Loki responded, lip curling with disgust.

"Great. Glad we're all on the same page. I'll see you kiddos later." With that, the call disconnected. The two stood in silence for a moment, Peter shuffling on his feet. Sitting on the ground, he began to pet Sandwich, the dog closing his eyes in contentment. Feeling the heat of Loki's stare, he met the trickster's gaze. "You wanna pet him?"

"No."

"Alright. Your loss," Peter answered. He scratched underneath Sandwich's chin, watching as the dog's back leg tapped the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, Peter saw Loki studying them. Facing Loki, he gestured with his hand. "C'mon. He won't bite."

As if he moved through quicksand, Loki approached the two. "Hold out your hand, palm upwards. Let him come to you." The god did as he was instructed, gingerly kneeling down. Sandwich, eyeing Loki with faint distrust, extended his snout towards the offered appendage. His nose barely brushed Loki's skin, the man still as stone. The two held their breath as Sandwich conducted his olfactory test. They froze when Sandwich's mouth opened.

 _Please don't bite him, please don't bite him,_ Peter pleaded, hand resting on the dog's nape, ready to yank him away should he lunge.

Sandwich began to lick Loki's hand, tail wagging minutely. The weight vanished from Peter's chest. "He likes you," he stated, surprise coating his words.

"It appears so," Loki replied, a minuscule smile gracing his lips.

At this moment, Thor decided to make his appearance. With a heavy thump, he landed a few feet from Loki, his cape billowing in the wind. Sandwich fell back, forcing Peter to steady the dog. Loki did not move, barely affected at his brother's dramatic entrance.

"There you are, brother. This time I thought you had vanished for real." The blond man turned and gave Peter a calm smile. "Hello, Peter."

"Hi, Thor," Peter said, giving a little wave. Thor turned his attention towards Loki once more. "I am under the impression that you cannot stand to be in my company."

"It is not that I do not want to be in your company, dear brother," Loki began, easing himself off the ground. "It is the fact that you can be incredibly dull."

Thor did not rise to the bait, instead entirely focusing on the damage to Loki's face. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine. Once my seðir replenishes, I will be able to heal myself entirely," Loki replied, meeting his brother's concerned gaze.

"Uh, what's seðir?" Peter asked, mind scrambling to remember what Thor had told him about Loki's abilities.

"It's what you mortals call magic." Loki's tone hinted that he was not in the mood to elaborate any further.

"Oh, okay. Cool."

Thor looked at Peter, gratitude filling his face. "Thank you, Peter, for looking after him."

"I didn't do anything," Peter began but was silenced with a swipe of Thor's hand.

"You kept him from aggravating his injuries further."

Loki gave a disgruntled look towards Thor. "I would have done no such thing."

"Of course not," Thor replied, rolling his eyes. He placed a hand on Loki's shoulder. "Banner would like to take a look at you to make sure that you have no life-threatening injuries."

"How wonderful," Loki dryly exclaimed.

Thor nodded at Peter. "I hope our paths cross again soon."

"Me too, Thor. See you," Peter replied. For a brief moment, Loki and Peter looked at each other. Thor cleared his throat, shaking his brother slightly. Loki, slightly affronted at his treatment, met Peter's eyes. "Thank you, Parker."

Peter gaped like a fish. Did Loki just thank him? "You--you're welcome."

Thor wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulders and shot off into the sky, leaving a still-shocked Peter and a disheveled Sandwich. He turned his head and cocked his head, whining in confusion at Peter. The teen absentmindedly patted the dog's head, staring at the sky. "Me too, boy. Me too."

**Author's Note:**

> Yay, Peter and Loki are sort of getting along! And Sandwich is an actual character, for those who did not know. Peter named him Sandwich because he fed him a sandwich in the comics (really creative name).  
> Hope you guys enjoyed, and I will be adding more to this series! Until next time!


End file.
